Stray Dogs
by Lunawerewolfy
Summary: Hidden for so long, a surge of strange benders and a second wave of more violent, terrible equalists grip republic city and throws it into a civil war even the Avatar might not be able to stop.


It was coming to the end of a very good day. The water glistened sparkling blues and greens and all in all things were looking up for Asami Sato.

She walked along the peer, gradually working the tension from her shoulders. Letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, she leant gently on the rails.

Her company had better prospects, and she was feeling good. Several good contracts with Varrick had garnered new interest in her Future Industries, so she felt she could take a leisurely stroll.

Asami watched the loading of another batch of Satomobiles into the ship, smiling. It was hard work, running this sort of thing, but it paid off. There was something intensely satisfying about looking at something and knowing it was yours.

A skinny boy was leaning over the railings up on the ship, barely noticeable if it wasn't for the large, puffy orange jacket. He was studying the edge of the ship carefully, looking for something.

Asami straightened up, moving towards the walkway. That kid was high up, and he didn't look steady. Half his body was thrown over the railings, only the tips of his toes and pure luck kept him onboard.

"Hey!" She called, waving her arms "Move back!"

The boy yelped, dislodging himself entirely, pitching over the railings.

He dropped like a stone.

Asami leapt forward, sprinting forward.

The boy, as if on instinct, swung his arms up like wings. A blast of air lifted him up, and as he swung them back another sent him rolling forward.

He landed heavily, slipping onto his back, letting out a huff of pain.

_Airbender_.

Asami stared. "You're an airbender."

The boy lifted his head, fear clouding his eyes. He leapt to his feet and made a dash past her.

She caught his wrist.

"Hey, it's fine! Calm down," She smiled, still a little bewildered. "I know the avatar, she'll take you to the temples and you can learn from them."

The boy flinched. "Miss, please, please don't tell anyone. Please!" He begged. He had a wealth of scruffy blonde hair that stood up in uneven spikes.

"Its fine, nothing bad will happen," Asami repeated, frowning a little. Did this kid still think the fire nation was killing airbenders? But that was ancient history, surely he wouldn't even have heard about it. "I promise it will be alright."

He glanced at her, a wild look in his eyes. His gaze shot across the emptying street, and he tugged sharply at his wrist.

Asami let go quickly. "Sorry. What's your name?"

He took a few steps back and held his hands behind his back. He kept his gaze fixed on the floor. "Naruto. Uzumaki. Please, I've worked hard. I was just doing my job."

"Why would anyone hurt you for being an airbender, Naruto?" Asami asked. She was genuinely worried now; if this kid had some sort of abusive family she couldn't just let it happen.

Naruto's gaze skittered about wildly and he took a few more steps back. "I—I—..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay." Asami said gently, putting a little bit of distance between them. "Don't worry, you can tell me."

He shook his head. "It's not you, it's Mada—" He clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Mada?" Asami asked. Mada didn't sound like a name, more like a sound a baby would make. Was he trying to say Mother? Was Mada a nickname?

Naruto shook his head wildly now, backing away.

"Hey, I—"

The boy turned and streaked off, out of the peer and turned deep into the city, orange coat disappearing out of sight.

* * *

"Does this kid even want our help?" Bolin asked from the back.

Republic city flew by in streaks of red and brown and Asami took a smooth left. "I don't know if he wants it but he certainly needs it. He was scared to death."

"Anyway," Korra added, glancing at the earthbender, "He's an airbender, we can't not help an airbender in distress. He's basically family."

They were driving deeper into the slums. The buildings faded from neat, sharp structures to crumbling ones, covered with peeling paint and grime. The building leaned on each other for support, like a line of drunkards.

"How'd you know his address anyway?" Mako asked, adjusting his goggles.

The engine rumbled under their feet as Asami sped up. There was no traffic here, and people kept off the streets, instead only looking out like caged animals at them speeding by.

"Company policy," She said.

She turned down a thin road and parked hastily outside an ancient, haggard looking building. They leapt out, and Bolin opened the door with a good kick.

It was dark, really dark; the only light was orange and pasty, filtering in from broken windows high on the walls. It smelt like something had died. Several things.

"Yuck," Korra said quietly. The floor felt too soft under her feet.

"Stop," A voice said quietly ahead of them.

They froze, completely unable to move.

A chill rolled down Korra's spine. Amon... but Amon was gone. It felt different; she could move her face and jaw but not her head. It didn't feel forced, more like her body had simply decided against moving. "Who are you?" She asked loudly, trying to look around.

They felt a jolt as they took a step forward involuntarily, and someone moved into the patch of light.

A boy. He was about their age, but thinner, like a starving cat. His dark hair was tied in a high tail, spiking out behind him like a black lion's mane. His dark eyes opened, and he let out a long-suffering sigh. "Just my luck, The one time it's my turn, I get the avatar."

"It doesn't matter." Another voice, deeper and slower, came from further in the shadows.

"Who are you two?!" Korra growls again, struggling.

"Hm. Troublesome." The boy lifts his arms in a yawn, and they feel themselves moving in sync.

Mako feels like a puppet, and it's disconcerting. This guy is moving him with him, leaving him completely helpless.

"I'm Shikamaru." The boy steeples his fingers and lets out another deep breath, closing his eyes. "Shino?"

"Let us go!" Mako yelled, wrenching at his arms.

Another walks into the light, moving languidly. A thick, heavy dark-green overcoat concealed everything about his figure and face. Dark glasses glinted and he raised his arms, pale fingers—

"Wait." The first boy, Shikamaru, said quietly.

The boy's fingers balled into fists, and his arms dropped back to his sides. "Yes?"

"It would be unwise to make an enemy of the avatar this early in the game. Let's leave burning bridges until we know where we stand." Shikamaru sighed.

"If you don't want to make me an enemy—_Let me go!_" Korra yelled.

Shikamaru raised his eyes brows languidly. "I said not to make you an enemy, I didn't say make you a friend. We don't know who you're allied with yet."

"Who's Mada?" Asami asked.

"Hm. I don't know." Shikamaru shrugged, and a ripple of shrugs moved through the group. "Did Naruto tell you that?"

"What was Naruto so afraid of, when we found out he was an airbender?" Asami asked, trying to keep an eye on the other boy. What was that anyway? And this Shikamaru guy was... people bending? Wasn't that Amon's power too?

"Can't tell you, sorry." He huffed, smiling.

Bolin glared. "You won't get away with this!"

"How far?" Shikamaru glanced over at Shino.

"Three miles to the east," Shino glanced to one of the walls. "Roughly."

"Alright. You'll take things over here?" He straightened up, brushing dust off his front.

Shino nodded, moving forward, flipping open a trapdoor in the roof. Dust spiralled down and sent light scattering across the dirty floor. "One of you is a police officer, correct?" Shino asked, in an almost bored tone.

"Yes." Mako glared.

Shino nodded, moving in front of Shikamaru, spreading his arms.

"You're okay on your own?" Shikamaru said, catching the end of the trapdoor.

Shino nodded.

The shadows dispelled.

* * *

It was early morning, when they left the building. Daylight barely filtered neon yellow across Republic City, lighting on the dusty streets.

Korra was exhausted. The boy in the dark trench coat wasn't a bender apparently, but he had insane dodging skills and was fast as lightning. He hadn't actually hit any of them really, but it was really difficult to fight him in that small a room without burning it down or killing anyone.

But eventually they had incapacitated him long enough to slap some cuffs on him and lead him outside.

Shino was pretty docile, and didn't say anything, at all. Ever. It was actually pretty unnerving how silent he was. She half expected him to explode, or attempt to fight them suddenly, but he sat in the back, crushed against her and Bolin, without complaint.

No one else seemed eager to strike up conversation. It wasn't exactly what everyone had been expecting from the evening—or the night, for that matter. She'd been ready to impress the small, weak kid Asami'd described, help him pack, toss him off to Tenzin and be back in time for a nice dinner and early bed.

Korra glared over at him. Creepy little guy shouldn't be able to move like that. Maybe he was an airbender too? No, else he would have used it against them. Maybe he had some super secret bending power? Like blood bending, but only with himself? That was stupid.

She sighed, and leant on her hands.

Bolin was shoved against her as the boy slammed his hands onto the back of the driving seat.

"Stop the vehicle." He commanded. "And get out. Now!"

Asami hesitated, and slammed on the breaks. Sparks skittered across the dashboard.

The boy spun, snatching the front of her jacket and tossing her out, quickly followed by Bolin and Mako. Korra spun in the air, putting a jet of air behind her as—

The Satomobile exploded.

Fire ripped through the night, shaking the road and blinding on lookers.

It dissipated, rolling into thick, brown smoke that burnt Korra's eyes. She lifted herself to her feet, coughing. Their Satomobile exploded? Why?

Footsteps reached her ears and she spun around. The boy, dark glasses broken, approached them slowly. He was dirty and singed, moving cautiously, like approaching a wounded animal. He stopped, and inclined his head in a small bow. "Apologies. I should have expected paper bombs, after Madara found out hideout."

"Madara?" Korra asked, still thrown for a loop. It had happened so fast, she'd hardly had time to think. "_Bombs_?!"

Shino pulled off his glasses completely, looking at them critically. Without them, he looked smaller. "Madara is... I believe we should wait until we're at the police station for to have this conversation." He shook his shoulders out, and closed his eyes. "Check on your friends."

Korra's eyes widened; and she turned, dashing over to where the others fell.

They seemed mostly unharmed, but a little bewildered. Bolin had landed awkwardly, twisting his ankle, but he seemed able to walk with help.

"Hey Sh—" Asami said, turning.

But the boy was long gone.

* * *

"An airbender?" Tenzin looked interested.

"Yeah," Korra said, excited, through spoonfuls of soup, "And he seemed pretty scared too, so Asami figured we should all go and take him to you to train and stuff. But when we got there, there was this guy who could blood-bend and this other non-bender guy. And the Blood-bend guy kept us trapped for a bit but then he escaped and the non-bender guy fought us for about fifteen minutes or so."

"Fought you? All of you?" Tenzin sat down opposite her, frowning.

"Yeah. And then Mako arrested the guy and then the guy was all quiet and stuff and then halfway back here he threw us all out of the 'mobile and then it exploded. Then he said something about Madara and bombs and then disappeared." She wolfed down the rest of her soup and started on the bread.

Tenzin pinched the bridge of his nose. "You need to be more careful."

"It was _fine_, Tenzin." Korra smiled, tearing the bread up and eating it quickly. She leapt to her feet, yawning, "I'm going to bed."

"Korra—" Tenzin started, but she was already gone.

* * *

**What a KILLER of an ending, am I right? I was always bad at those, sorry. **

**It'll take me about three days, minimum to update. Two weeks at most, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. It really depends on what feedback I get. **


End file.
